We've Got a Long Way to Go
by MeakoXIII
Summary: A dramione one-shot about after the War; can be continued if enough people want it to. Not epilogue compatible.


**We've Got a Long Way to Go**

**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN HP. THANKS FOR READING.**

**Song to listen to: **_**We've Got a Long Way to Go**_** by: Gwen Stefani**

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**They had endured the scorn of their friends, of their family, of the entire Wizarding World. After the Second War was over everyone thought it would get better, would continue to improve. They had thought that old prejudices could finally be set aside, forgotten about. But words were great, were easy; actions were proving harder.

The seventh-years who never finished school had been offered the chance to return to school, to finish as the very first eighth-years. Many had taken up on that chance, many had not, choosing to fade into the world as they saw fit. Among those returning, however, were Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom, Blaise Zambini, Pansy Parkinson, Ron Weasley, and Harry Potter.

The eighth-years were pretty much segregated into their own wing of the school, their own classes. It was only at meals and in the halls that they saw anyone else.

With such limited social scopes, Draco and Hermione, being the top two in their classes, often talked. Usually it was about the subject matter contained in their classes, but sometimes it strayed to personal topics. And eventually that budding friendship bloomed into an attraction. And that same attraction could not, no, would not be denied.

The first shock of reality hit when they walked into the Great Hall for dinner holding hands. They had been together for about a week, and had decided that they were tired of hiding. By unspoken consent they sat at the Slytherin table for that meal, and many afterwards. Draco was still not well accepted by many people outside of the eighth-years, but Slytherin would always have a special place for him in its ranks. And they would accept Hermione, seeing her as a boon to their ranks, their reputation. If someone who had formerly been the Prince of Slytherin could earn the trust and heart of Princess of Gryffindor and the Most Golden of the Golden Trio, they were willing to try and accept her as well. And they knew that they were all in her debt. Without her influence and smarts, the world would have been doomed many times over.

One day, however, Luna Lovegood sat with the couple at breakfast. It was after that, only after someone known to be one of Draco's most bullied people sat next to him, that the couple was given grudging acceptance.

And thus their last year at Hogwarts continued. They graduated, had their own special notice and graduation robes to set them aside from the seventh-years, and joined the Wizarding World. Expectations fell heavily on certain people, and most of those expectations were fulfilled. Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley were engaged and married soon after, and he became an auror, trying to prevent something of the magnitude of the Second War from ever happening again.

Ron Weasley, best friend of the aforementioned Harry, also became an auror, and finally stepped out of the shadow of Harry and into his own glory. Who would have know that someone so uncertain of himself, of his magic, would eventually become one of the best aurors known to date?

Neville Longbottom, though his expectations were not given by the Wizarding World, but his grandmother, married Luna Lovegood and both became teachers at Hogwarts, he: the herbology professor; she: Care of Magical Creatures.

Hermione Granger, however, broke free of expectations. She did not fall into the awaiting arms of Ron, as they had long since decided that what they thought they felt for each other was just that: what they had thought. And more expectations. She did not become an auror, as some had hoped she would, did not settle down to be a librarian, as others had expected, but also did not join the Ministry as a worker in the Relations with Magical Creatures Department. She had finally laid S.P.E.W. to rest. And then did something that no one could have ever thought she would do: simply vanished off the radar.

Draco Malfoy also vanished, having unexpectedly withdrawn a large portion of his inheritance from Gringotts, a good many pieces of furniture and artifacts from the Manor, and then left that selfsame building burning.

It wasn't until years later that the truth finally came out. A key journalist, Lavender Brown, had been vacationing in Egypt when she had stumbled upon an unlikely couple roaming the streets of Cairo. One she hadn't seen in years.

_The Undead Walk the Earth_

_I, Lavender Brown, had been taking a week-long vacation in Egypt, gorgeous place, by the way, when I stumbled upon its best kept secret: a couple that no one had expected to survive._

_In Cairo, by the river Nile, there is a house. It looks much the same as any other house there, modestly sized, two stories high with a balcony leading to the outside. I had probably walked by it many times without guessing who lived, well, lives, there._

_A lost boy by the name of Draco Malfoy has finally been found, his heart soothed, his past forgiven, if not forgotten, by a woman whom we all held very dear to our hearts: Hermione Granger, well, now Hermione Malfoy._

_This may come as a shock to many of my readers, probably more so than the shock I got when I recognized who they were. After all, Cairo has not been known for its magical society. And anyone who had the … pleasure of knowing Malfoy as he grew up would realize that he would not settle willingly to a Muggle life. In fact, he would probably have killed himself first. Or faced down You-Know-Who wandless._

_Yet the proof was there, before my eyes. The couple seemed very happy, in fact, their happiness was contagious. Everyone that looked their way couldn't help but smile. I was only one of those victims._

_Between the two adults was a child, not more than two years old. It was obvious that he was well loved and well cared for. He positively glowed with happiness, health, and magic. Indeed, when this child makes his entrance to the Wizarding World, it will be with a large splash._

_But I digress. Now, I know that there will be people who do not believe what I say, or that the couple in question seem to truly be in love, but I have already forseen that. Which is why there is a picture to go along with this article. And for those who still do not believe, well, I have gotten special permission from the couple to give their address away. And that is in the caption below the picture._

_As for why the title? Well, who honestly had believed they were alive? At least in Malfoy's case. I think that many of us had our hopes that Granger had gone back to live in the Muggle world with her parents._

_But I dearly wish them the best of luck as they continue on in life, and, dear readers, you have my promise that I do, and will continue to, support them._

_See you next week!_

_Lavender_

Thousands of owls flew to the magazine headquarters, thousands more flew to Egypt. Local Muggle scientists tried to fathom the odd behavior of the nocturnal birds, but not one of them could have guessed it had to do with three people.

Hermione sighed as she opened yet another letter from someone she didn't know. And, once more, she wondered why they had allowed Lavender to write that damn article anyway.

Draco looked at his wife and smirked. "Why are you bothering to open them, anyway?"

She shrugged. "I don't know, honestly. How many of them expect replies, do you think?"

His Slytherin nature came out in the grin he sent her. "How many do you think actually made it here?" he waved his wand and they were on fire. "I don't know, but it seems that only a few of them survived."

She rolled her eyes at his antics. Only her husband would solve a problem that way. "What if one of those was important?"

He scoffed at the very idea.

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**So I haven't quite decided whether to continue this fic or not, because I think it could end here, but then again, it could go on. So please tell me what you think and why, ok?**

**Thanks for reading!**

**Meako**

**08.30.10**


End file.
